The  Constitution  and  Organization  of  the 
Commission  on  Relations  with 
France  and  Belgium 

THE  Commission  on  Relations  with  France  and  Belgium 
is  composed,  first  of  all,  of  the  official  representatives  of 
the  denominations  having  work  or  related  work  in 
France  and  Belgium,  as  follows: 

Northern  Baptist  Convention 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South 
National  Lutheran  Council 
Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  (South) 

Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U.  S.  A. 

United  Presbyterian  Church 
Reformed  Church  in  America 
Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S. 

It  also  includes  representatives  of  the  American  Bible 
Society  and  the  American  McAll  Association  and  has  the 
cooperation  of  the  United  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor. 

In  addition  to  this  it  has  about  eighty  members  at  large, 
selected  from  many  commlinions  because  of  their  interest  and 
special  service.  * 

The  Committee  on  Work,  which  is  the  Executive  Com¬ 
mittee,  consists  of  the  official  representatives  of  the  bodies 
concerned. 

There  is  a  special  Committee  on  Theological  Seminaries 
for  cooperation  between  seminaries  of  the  three  nations  through 
the  interchange  of  professors,  lecturers  and  graduate  students. 
Arrangements  are  also  being  made  whereby  the  libraries  of 
the  seminaries  in  each  country  shall  be  supplied  with  informa¬ 
tional  literature  concerning  the  churches  of  other  countries. 

Provision  has  been  made  for  the  other  denominations  of 
the  Federal  Council  ^  participate  in  this  work  and  it  is  hoped 
that  ultimately  all  of  the  American  church  bodies  will  have 
their  part  in  it. 

The  corresponding  organization  in  France,  through  which 

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the  Commission  carries  out  its  work,  is  the  Comite  d’Union 
Protestante  pour  les  Secours  de  Guerre  en  France  et  en  Belgi¬ 
que,  appointed  by  the  French  Protestant  Federation,  and 
consists  of  representatives  of  the  following  bodies: 

Federation  Protestante  de  France 
Comite  Protestant  Frangais 

Comite  Protestant  d’Entr’aide  pour  les  regions  envahies 

Eglises  Evangeliques  Lutheriennes 

Union  Nationale  des  Eglises  Reformees  Evangeliques 

Union  Nationale  des  Eglises  Reformees 

Union  des  Eglises  Evangeliques  Libres 

Eglise  Evangelique  Methodiste 

Eglises  Baptistes 

Union  des  Eglises  Evangeliques  de  Belgique 
Eglises  Missionaire  Beige 
Societe  Centrale  Evangelique 
Mission  Populaire  Evangelique  (McAll) 

Societe  des  Missions  Evangeliques 
Eglise  Methodiste  Episcopale  de  France 

The  Comite  Beige  d’Union  Protestante  also  acts  in  coopera¬ 
tion  with  the  Commission. 

Thus  we  have  in  the  three  countries  organizations  effectively 
representing  all  of  the  Protestant  work  and  institutions. 


The  Efficiency  of  United  Effort 

A  Real  Program  for  the  Reconstruction  and  Development  of  the 
French  and  Belgian  Protestant  Churches  United  under  Capable 
Local  Leadership  in  Consultation  with  the  Leaders  of  American 
Protestant  Churches  Cooperating  in  Counsel  and  Financial  Aid. 

The  efficiency  of  united  effort  is  now  assured  in  the  recon¬ 
struction  and  development  of  the  work  of  the  Protestant 
Churches  in  France  and  Belgium.  After  a  most  careful  study 
and  consultation  during  the  year  following  the  armistice,  the 
leaders  of  all  the  French  and  Belgian  Protestant  churches 
have  agreed  upon  a  united  program  and  budget  for  the  year 
1920.  A  commission  representing  the  Protestant  churches  of 
the  United  States  has  approved  this  program  and  budget  and 
has  assured  the  French  and  Belgian  committee  that  the  share 
asked  from  the  American  churches  will  be  sent  without  fail 
this  year. 


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The  principal  features  of  this  program  are: 

1.  Reconstruction,  Repair  and  Development  of  Churches 
in  the  Devastated  Area. 

About  one  hundred  and  thirty  churches  and  parish  build¬ 
ings  were  ruined  by  fire,  bombardment,  pillage  and  wanton 


The  Protestant  Church  of  Monneaux  (near  Chateau  Thierry) 


destruction.  The  churches  in  the  towns  which  are  now  being 
rebuilt  are  to  be  restored  at  once  and  increased  facilities  added 
for  enlarged  social  service. 

Where  the  present  population  does  not  justify  the  im¬ 
mediate  erection  of  a  church,  it  is  planned  to  found  community 
centers  in  neighboring  villages,  grouped  under  the  supervision 
of  one  of  the  local  pastors.  Two  women,  an  efficient  visitor 
and  a  trained  nurse,  placed  in  charge  of  each  of  these  centers, 
by  rendering  real  Christian  social  service  would  naturally  de¬ 
velop  the  nucleus  of  a  future  church.  In  fact,  at  the  present 

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time,  the  number  of  available  pastors  makes  it  practically 
impossible  to  extend  the  work  in  any  other  way. 

2.  Training  for  Leadership  in  Church  Work  and  Social 
Service. 

The  loss  during  the  war  of  so  many  religious  leaders  and 
promising  students  and  the  requirements  in  personnel  of  the 
enlarged  plans  for  the  future  necessitate  the  development  as 
rapidly  as  possible  of  an  adequate  force  of  men  and  women 
to  supply  efficient  leadership  in  all  branches  of  Christian  work. 
To  this  end,  training  schools  have  been  organized  in  Paris 
and  elsewhere,  and  give  promise  of  great  usefulness  in  meeting 
the  need.  These,  and  the  theological  seminaries  as  well,  require 
temporary  assistance  in  the  present  economic  crisis. 

3.  Foreign  Missions. 

Hundreds  of  thousands  of  black  and  yellow  men  were 
recruited  in  the  French  colonies  of  Asia  and  Africa  and  brought 
to  the  battlefields  of  the  great  war,  where  many  of  them  laid 
down  their  lives,  fighting  bravely  by  the  side  of  the  French  and 
American  soldiers.  While  in  Christian  Europe  they  learned 
the  vices  of  civilization  and  how  to  murder  more  rapidly  and 
how  to  make  the  deadliest  weapons.  The  least  we  can  do  is 
to  bring  to  their  families  in  the  French  colonies  the  best 
the  world  has  ever  known. 

The  Paris  Evangelical  Missionary  Society  is  practically  the 
only  French  missionary  society  in  foreign  lands.  It  is  inter¬ 
denominational  and  unites  in  one  missionary  effort  the  two 
sections  of  the  Reformed  Church,  the  Union  of  Free  Churches, 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  and  some  of  the  Wesleyan 
Methodist  and  Baptist  Churches.  The  Society  works  in  seven 
mission  fields:  five  in  Africa-Basutoland  (South  Africa),  Barot- 
siland  (Upper  Zambeze),  Senegal  and  Congo  (West  Africa), 
and  Madagascar;  and  two  in  the  South  Seas  (Tahiti  and  So¬ 
ciety  Islands — New  Caledonia  and  Loyalty  Islands). 

In  view  of  the  orgnization  of  the  work  in  the  new  mission 
field  of  Kamerun,  formerly  a  German  colony,  as  well  as  the 
extension  of  the  work  in  the  seven  older  mission  fields,  the 
Paris  Society  is  preparing  about  twenty  new  missionaries,  for 
the  most  part  young  soldiers  and  officers  who  have  just  come 

4 


back  from  the  army;  it  prepares  them  with  the  full  confidence 
that  God,  who  has  called  the  men,  will  also  give  the  necessary 
resources  to  send  them  into  the  field. 

4.  Immediate  Relief  for  Pastors ,  their  Families ,  and  N eedy 
Church  Members. 

The  Comite  d-Entr’aide,  organized  at  almost  the  beginning 
of  the  war,  with  alertness  and  clear  vision  united  all  types  of 
Protestants  in  a  common  organization  to  relieve  the  Protestant 
families  rendered  homeless  and  helpless  by  the  war.  Within 
a  year  the  need  of  such  relief  will  greatly  diminish,  but  just 
at  present  it  is  still  very  necessary. 

5.  Protestant  Schools. 

A  strong  proportion  of  the  Protestant  population,  and, 
therefore,  of  the  ministers,  live  in  rural  districts,  mountain  and 
country  villages  and  small  towns,  where  the  children  can  only 
find  primary  education  up  to  the  age  of  twelve. 

The  great  need  is,  therefore,  that  of  a  few  well-equipped 
and  endorsed  high  schools  or  children’s  hostels,  where  pastors’ 
children  and  others  could  find  the  best  education.  Such 
schools  would  prepare  a  new  generation  of  Christian  workers 
and  leaders  and  could,  if  carried  out  on  broad  evangelical 
lines,  be  used  by  many  outsiders  and,  therefore,  be  most  useful 
for  spreading  evangelical  principles  among  the  better  classes. 

There  are,  in  addition,  certain  Protestant  primary  schools 
which  it  is  useful  to  maintain;  and  small  amounts  are  required 
by  various  schools  and  asylums  which  have  suffered  materially 
during  the  war  and  which  require  support  for  the  next  few 
years  in  order  that  they  may  not  be  permanently  encumbered 
by  debt. 

6.  Publication. 

It  is  highly  desirable  that  Protestant  literature  be  mad? 
available  for  the  widest  circulation  as  quickly  as  possible. 
This  necessitates  a  capital  fund  for  the  printing  of  books  and 
periodicals  and  an  adequate  appropriation  for  the  production 
and  distribution  of  the  Scriptures  in  cooperation  with  the 
American  Bible  Society. 


5 


7.  French  and  Belgian  Protestant  Hospitals  and  Asylums. 

The  erection  of  new  hospital  buildings  and  asylums  re¬ 
quires  an  amount  of  money  that  could  hardly  be  expected  to 
be  received  from  general  church  collections.  It  is  highly 
important,  however,  that  a  liberal  appropriation  be  made  to 
the  Protestant  hospitals  for  the  training  of  district  nurses 
who  are  urgently  needed  in  the  development  of  the  work  in 
the  devastated  areas. 

For  this  large  program  of  Christian  service  the  Protes¬ 
tant  churches  of  the  United  States  have  pledged  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Protestant  Churches  of  France  and  Bel¬ 
gium  ONE  MILLION  DOLLARS  in  1920.  The  Commission 
counts  oh  the  cooperation  of  American  Christians  to  help 
carry  out  this  pledge.  Checks  may  be  sent  to  Alfred  R. 
Kimball,  Treasurer  of  the  Federal  Council,  and  will  be 
credited,  if  so  specified,  to  the  contribution  of  the  denom¬ 
ination  with  which  the  giver  is  connected,  and  may  be 
designated  for  particular  objects. 

The  Committee  on  Plans  and  Budget,  of  which  Mr.  William 
Sloane  Coffin  is  Chairman,  has  gone  over  its  subject  with  great 
care  and  its  proposals  have  been  accepted  by  the  Commission 
and  its  constituent  denominations  with  entire  confidence  and 
approval. 


America  in  France 


6 


Statement  of  the  Commission 

“The  Protestant  Churches  of  France  and  Belgium 
have  had  much  in  common  with  the  Churches  of  America, 
in  origin,  history,  faith  and  sentiment.  The  Huguenots 
of  France,  largely  through  earlier  persecution,  have  been 
distinguished  among  the  planters  of  Protestant  Religion 
in  both  Europe  and  America  and  in  other  parts  of  the 
world. 

“These  Churches  in  France  and  Belgium,  in  addition 
to  this  kinship  in  origin  and  heritage,  are  related  still 
more  intimately,  by  historical  ties  and  by  forms  of  faith 
and  order,  with  the  Presbyterian,  Reformed,  Lutheran, 
Baptist  and  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  in  America. 

“These  relations  and  sympathies  have  normally  and 
naturally  deepened  as  we  have  witnessed  the  brave  sacri¬ 
fices  of  these  fellow-Christians  and  still  more  as  we  have 
in  some  measure  entered  into  their  suffering.  It  was  in 
the  ordinary  course  of  nature  that  they  should,  in  1915, 
in  their  dire  need,  look  across  the  sea  to  their  brothers 
and  sisters  in  faith  for  financial  and  moral  support. 
Consequently,  messengers  have  passed  back  and  forth 
from  the  Churches  of  one  country  to  another;  we  have 
received  their  messengers  with  sympathy  and  have  made 
response  to  the  needs  they  set  forth  to  us,  though  in  a 
measure  which  has  been  thus  far  all  too  meagre. 

“The  Protestant  Churches  of  France  and  Belgium  now 
face  the  great  tasks  and  opportunities  of  reconstruction. 
They  do  it  with  diminished  ranks  and  resources,  but  with 
the  same  courage  and  resolution  that  they  displayed  in 
maintaining  their  life  and  giving  heart  and  soul  to  their 
nation  during  the  war. 

“A  great  portion  of  the  people  of  France  have  no 
personal  relations  with  religious  institutions.  It  is  not 
that  they  are  irreligious.  They  have  borne  witness  to  their 
splendid  ideals  during  these  five  momentous  years.  But, 
whatever  may  be  the  cause  or  causes,  organized  religion  as 
ecclesiastically  constituted  has  failed  to  reach  them.  To 
these  millions  of  unattached  men  and  women  the  Protes- 


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tant  Faith  of  France  is  making  its  appeal.  For  them  it 
has  a  message,  a  message  which  the  Protestant  Churches 
of  France  have  a  right  to  speak  and  an  appeal  which 
the  people  of  France  have  a  right  to  hear,  if  they  choose 
to  listen  to  it. 

“Our  brethren  across  the  sea,  however,  while  their 
faith  and  spiritual  power  have  been  deepened,  are  de¬ 
pleted  in  their  personal  and  physical  resources;  their 
Churches  are  destroyed,  their  institutions  are  impaired, 
and  their  workers  have  been  laid  low  on  the  field  of 
conflict.  The  Protestant  Churches  of  America  have  here 
a  great  obligation  and  opportunity,  which  to  ignore  would 
be  a  sin  against  humanity  and  against  God.  These  needs 
are,  first  of  all,  the  rebuilding  and  strengthening  of 
Churches,  Manses,  Hospitals  and  institutions  of  Christian 
teaching.  But  they  are  more  than  this;  they  include  the 
great  task  of  social  reconstruction. 

“In  this  service  with  a  view  of  strengthening  and  sup¬ 
plementing  the  forces  already  in  those  countries,  the 
American  denominations  having  work  or>  related  work  in 
France  and  Belgium  propose  to  participate;  namely,  the 
Presbyterian,  Reformed,  Lutheran,  Methodist  Episcopal 
and  Baptist,  with  such  other  denominations  as  may  desire 
to  unite  in  this  duty  and  privilege. 

“In  order  that  this  great  ecumenical  undertaking  may 
be  broadly  Christian,  the  Federal  Council  has  appointed 
a  ‘Commission  on  Relations  with  France  and  Belgium’ 
in  which  all  participating  denominations  may  have  a 
common  interest,  work  in  consultation  and  cooperation, 
and  insure  results  effective  to  the  highest  degree. 

“This  Commission  seeks  no  controversy,  enters  no  de¬ 
bate,  regarding  other  forms  of  religion  in  these  nations. 
Their  people  will  choose  for  themselves  the  expressions 
of  their  religious  faith.  The  Commission  and  its  con¬ 
stituent  denominations  enter  upon  their  task,  not  destruc¬ 
tively,  but  frankly,  openly  and  constructively. 

“In  neither  France  nor  Belgium  has  the  state  decreed 
forms  or  institutions  of  religion  for  the  people  and  the 

8 


religious  faith  of  men  and  women  is  not  to  be  de¬ 
termined  by  numerical  proportions  or  by  majority  vote. 

“In  these  nations  the  Church  of  Rome  has  a  large 
body  of  faithful  and  devout  adherents,  whose  devotion  we 
respect  and  whose  good  works  we  esteem.  We  view  with 
cheerful  goodwill  the  efforts  of  Churches  of  that  faith 
in  America  which  seek  to  do  for  their  brethren  and  sis¬ 
ters  what  we  do  for  ours.  They  too  will  make  their 
religious  appeal  to  the  great  multitude  in  France  who 
are  without  the  Church.  We  do  not  assume  to  determine 
the  course  which  such  churches  shall  take,  nor  do  we  on 
the  other  hand  admit  the  validity  of  their  objection  to  our 
own  cooperation  with  our  spiritual  brethren  of  France 
and  Belgium. 

“Religion  is  not  to  be  determined  by  national  or  po¬ 
litical  boundaries.  It  is  a  matter  between  each  individual 
soul  and  God.  The  nation  most  truly  and  deeply  religious 
is  not  the  nation  in  which  forms  and  faith  are  determined 
and  selected  for  the  people,  but  in  which  each  soul,  in 
the  inviolable  solitude  of  personality,  is  brought  face  to 
face  with  the  divine  reality. 

“In  this  spirit  of  goodwill  towards  all  good  men  and 
all  good  works  and  institutions,  the  Protestant  Evangelical 
Churches  of  America  desire  to  do  their  part  in  the  moral, 
social  and  religious  reconstruction  of  these  countries, 
which,  by  their  devotion  to  ideals  and  by  the  valor  of  their 
spirits,  have  saved  us  from  the  greatest  moral  and  spir¬ 
itual  disaster  that  ever  threatened  the  civilized  world.” 

The  Needs  of  the  French  and  Belgian  Churches 
as  the  Result  of  Their  Devastation 

In  all  the  devastated  regions  of  France  and  Belgium  there 
are  Protestant  communities.  During  the  war  the  majority 
were  deprived  of  their  pastors,  who  were  mobilized  as  sol¬ 
diers  or  officers,  as  hospital  attendants,  as  chaplains,  or  who, 
under  German  invasion,  with  the  prominent  citizens  of  their 
parishes,  were  led  away  into  exile. 

Out  of  the  thousand  pastors,  over  four  hundred  and  fifty 

9 


were  mobilized  and  there  were,  in  1918,  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  serving  as  chaplains,  the  remainder  being  in  the 
ranks.  Two  hundred  and  sixty-one  were  decorated  for  con¬ 
spicuous  valor.  Seventy-five  French  and  eighty-eight  Belgian 
pastors  were  in  the  invaded  and  bombarded  regions.  Nearly 
one  hundred  pastors  and  theological  students  and  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty  sons  of  pastors  and  missionaries  were 

killed. 

Prior  to  the  war  there  were  about  one  thousand  Protestant 
churches  in  France.  One-eighth  of  these  churches,  including 
many  of  the  strongest  and  most  influential,  were  under  fire 
in  the  industrial  districts  of  the  invaded  north.  In  some  in¬ 
stances  every  article  of  value — the  communion  sets,  altars,  etc., 
were  taken  away  by  the  Germans,  the  churches  damaged  and 
many  totally  destroyed. 

About  one  hundred  and  thirty  churches  and  other  parish 
buildings  were  ruined — by  fire,  bombardment,  pillage  and 
wanton  destruction.  Twenty-eight  pastors  homes  were  de¬ 
stroyed.  Captured  army  orders  indicate  the  thoroughness  with 
which  German  officers  superintended  the  demolition.  The 
losses  among  the  Protestant  congregations  were  often  enormous. 
In  many  churches  forty  to  sixty  men  never  returned.  In  addi¬ 
tion,  these  people  in  the  path  of  the  fighting  were  of  course 
scattered,  and  their  churches  were  entirely  crippled.  For 
these  reasons  it  is  estimated  that  at  least  two  hundred  churches 
have  been  closed,  awaiting  repair,  rebuilding,  the  finding  of  a 
pastor  or  the  return  of  the  people. 

The  sum  required  (at  pre-war  prices)  for  the  reconstruc¬ 
tion  of  the  churches  was  estimated  at  more  than  4,500,000 
francs,  and  for  furniture  of  both  churches  and  manses,  475,000 
francs.  The  actual  cost  of  the  materials  cannot  be  given 
exactly  but  in  many  cases  it  has  quadrupled.  An  immediate 
need  is  for  semi-portable  halls  which  can  take  the  place  of 
churches  and  stations  until  they  are  rebuilt  or  replaced,  for  it 
must  be  remembered  that  dwelling  houses  have  to  be  built  to 
accommodate  the  population  before  the  church  can  be  started. 
Another  equally  urgent  need  is  to  relieve  pastors  and  their 
flocks  in  their  time  of  distress. 


10 


Plans  of  the  Religious  Bodies  in  France  and  Belgium 
for  the  Expansion  of  Their  Work 

1.  The  French  Protestant  Assembly  met  at  Lyons  in 
November,  1919,  in  a  gathering  at  which  all  of  the  Protestant 
denominations  and  their  cooperating  agencies  were  repre¬ 
sented.  Plans  were  approved  for  the  development  of  the 
French  Protestant  Federation,  following  in  the  main  the  organ¬ 
ization  of  the  Federal  Council  of  the  Churches  of  Christ  in 
America,  with  provision  for  headquarters  in  Paiis  and  the 
employment  of  adequate  secretarial  forces. 

2.  United  Committee  of  the  Protestant  Churches  of 
Belgium.  The  two  main  Protestant  bodies  in  Belgium  are  also 
forming  a  United  Committee  for  their  common  work  and  are 
receiving  hearty  cooperation  from  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  South,  of  the  United  States,  which  is  undertaking  im¬ 
portant  work  in  Belgium,  as  representing  the  Episcopal  Meth¬ 
odism  of  America. 

3  French  Protestant  Committee  for  Reconstruction. 
This  Committee,  inclusive  of  all  Protestant  interests  in  France 
and  Belgium,  is  charged  with  the  special  duty  of  reconstruction 
work,  is  authorized  by  the  French  Protestant  Federation  and 
the  United  Committee  of  the  Belgian  Churches,  and  is  the  cor¬ 
responding  Committee  with  the  Federal  Council  Commission 
on  Relations  with  France  and  Belgium.  It  includes  as  a  con¬ 
stituent  member  a  Committee  charged  with  the  special  duty  ol 
bringing  relief  to  the  Protestant  institutions  and  families  ot 

the  invaded  regions. 

4.  Plans  of  the  Constituent  Bodies. 

The  Reformed  Evangelical  Church  plans  the  restoration  ot 
sixty  buildings,  costing,  at  present  prices,  $960,000;  the  devel¬ 
opment  of  pastoral  training  by  relocating  the  seminary  of  Mon- 
tauban  at  Montpellier;  the  organization  of  lay  activities  m  all 
of  their  churches;  evangelization  by  urging  its  possibility  m 
all  of  the  churches,  by  providing  tracts  and  other  literature, 
bv  preparing  evangelists  and  colporteurs;  the  establishment  ol 
a  School  of  Religious  and  Social  Work  for  women,  m  Paris 
and  the  use  of  women  as  deaconess  evangelists;  the  increase  ol 
pastors’  salaries  from  January,  1920,  to  $600  yearly  for  single, 
and  $840  for  married  men,  with  house  rental,  and  allowances 

for  children  and  for  years  of  service. 

11 


Ruins  of  Reformed  Church  at  Verdun 


The  Reformed  Church  plans  the  restoration  of  the  churches 
of  Lille,  Roubaix,  Verdun,  Nancy  and  others,  and  evangeliza¬ 
tion  throughout  the  country  through  a  complete  program  of 
parochial  effort.  For  this  latter  purpose  a  strong  committee 
on  evangelization  has  been  formed  and  the  next  National 
Synod  is  to  be  called  the  Synod  of  Evangelization.  In  addi¬ 
tion  to  the  plans  for  new  work,  the  attempt  of  this  denomination 
to  regain  its  normal  strength  will  require  substantial  financial 
support. 

The  two  Reformed  bodies  whose  work  is  above  described, 
together  with  the  Lutheran  churches,  form  the  larger  body  of 
French  Protestantism.  The  Lutheran  Church  is  a  strong  body, 
especially  now  that  it  has  received  large  accessions  from  the 
annexation  of  Alsace-Lorraine.  The  Lutheran  churches,  with 
the  assistance  of  their  brethren  in  America,  contemplate  a 
strong  development  of  their  work. 

12 


The  other  bodies  of  the  French  Protestant  Federation— the 
Free  Churches,  the  Methodist  and  Baptist  Churches — are  also 
engaged  in  courageous  plans  for  the  expansion  of  their  evan- 

gelical  work. 

The  Central  Evangelical  Society  plans  the  restoration  of 
stations  in  the  industrial  and  manufacturing  centers  of  the 
North  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $60,000  for  reestablishment  an 
$180,000  for  rebuilding  and  furnishing;  the  creation  of  a 
School  of  Christian  Service  for  men  and  women,  of  whom  there 
are  already  many  ready  to  take  up  such  training,  at  an  annual 
cost  of  $6,000,  and  the  placing  of  workers  on  probation  with 
qualified  pastors  before  their  selection  for ^  training  m  the 
School,  involving  a  cost  of  about  $10,000;  the  adoption  of 
churches  abandoned  by  their  denominations  through  necessity 
and  which  have  turned  for  aid  to  the  Central  Evangelical  So¬ 
ciety,  through  which  they  were  founded,  involving  a  cost  of 
$10,000;  and  the  development  of  the  previously  successiul 
work  of  publication  at  a  probable  cost  of  $10,000. 

The  Me  All  Mission  plans  immediate  repair  of  the  stations 
in  the  North — St.  Quentin,  Fives-Lille,  etc.  and  enlargement 
of  other  stations — at  Rouen,  Amiens  and  Marseilles;  the  organ¬ 
ization  of  dispensaries  with  visiting  nurses;  the  establishment 
of  a  Bureau  of  Publications,  supplying  magazines,  papers, 
tracts,  etc.,  for  all  Protestant  churches,  in  order  to  reach  par¬ 
ticularly  the  adult  population,  which  is  less  ready  than  formerly 
to  attend  the  public  meetings  where  the  religious  message  may 
be  heard;  the  extension  of  activities  for  children,  particular  y 
in  the  permanent  establishment  of  country  homes  and  the 
starting  of  playgrounds;  the  training  of  the  numbers  of  young 
men  and  women  who  are  ready  to  become  evangelists  and  mis¬ 
sion  workers;  and  the  extension  of  work  in  the  small  country 

places. 

The  Central  Evangelical  Society  and  the  Me  All  Mission 
have  united  in  three  important  undertakings— the  Bureau  of 
Publications,  the  training  of  workers,  and,  to  be  carried  on 
later,  an  evangelistic  campaign.  The  two  Societies  continue 

their  other  work  as  before. 


13 


The  Society  of  Sunday  Schools 
plans  to  work  with  other  religious 
publishing  societies  in  the  publi¬ 
cation  of  tracts,  and  needs  $20,000 
to  start  its  work  of  securing 
teachers’  helps  for  all  departments 
of  the  Sunday  School.  It  will 
publish  hymn  books,  Bible  histor¬ 
ies,  a  book  on  Bible  life  and 
customs,  a  Bible  dictionary,  lesson 
cards,  etc.;  and  also  needs  $3,000 
for  publication  of  U Effort,  the 
only  Protestant  interdenomina¬ 
tional  weekly.  This  Society  plans 
to  further  its  work,  also,  by 
translating  and  adapting  from 
American  publications 
and  hopes  for  permission 
from  American  societies 
to  do  this  freely. 

The  Bible  Society  of 
France,  which  during  the 
war  has  supplied  its  books 
,to  ten  other  Bible  Soci¬ 
eties  in  France,  Belgium, 
Switzerland  and  Haiti  and 
three  Missionary  Soci¬ 
eties,  believes  that  two 
editions  of  the  Bible  are 
urgently  needed — one  of 
the  pocket  style  and  one  larger  edition,  as  well  as  large  marriage 
Bibles,  New  Testaments  and  single  books  of  the  Bible.  The 
Society  should  have  from  $20,000  to  $30,000  for  the  publica¬ 
tion  of  these  editions. 


Sunday  School  Children  in  France 


The  Society  of  Foreign  Missions  needs  about  $150,000  to 
carry  on  its  interdenominational  work  in  the  French  Colon¬ 
ies  and  to  prepare  young  men  and  women  for  this  work  in  a 
well-equipped  training  school. 

The  Belgian  Missionary  Church  hopes  to  provide  scholar- 

14 


ships  for  the  six  candidates  for  the  ministry  already  under 
training  in  Switzerland  and  America  and  for  the  others  to 
follow:  and  also  plans  well-advertised  evangelistic  campaigns; 
the  development  of  evangelization  in  Brussels;  the  founding  of 
a  Protestant  Building  there;  providing  of  tracts  and  other  lit¬ 
erature;  aggressive  extension  of  Sunday  Schools;  the  reorgan¬ 
ization  of  Protestant  primary  schools  and  establishment  of 
secondary  schools;  the  extension  of  the  medical  work  now 
being  managed  by  a  Union  Protestant  Board;  the  development 
of  philanthropic  work,  including  the  continuation  of  orphan¬ 
ages  and  asylums;  the  strengthening  of  the  fight  for  morality, 
reorganization  of  temperance  societies,  rescue  work,  etc.;  and 
the  extension  of  the  Congo  Mission  work,  since  the  expected 
Belgian  mandate  for  part  of  German  East  Africa  will  necessitate 
their  taking  over  the  existing  missionary  effort.  This  Church 
also  recommends  the  enlargement  of  the  Brussels  Hospital. 

The  Union  of  Evangelical  Churches  of  Belgium  plans  to 
carry  on  its  work  through  evangelists  at  eight  stations,  two 
colporteurs,  its  three  schools  and  its  printing  shop;  and  to 
provide  pensions  for  four  widows  of  evangelists. 

Interdenominational  Social  and  Phil  am 
thro  pic  Institutions.  One  of  the  most  striking 
expressions  of  Protestantism  in  these  two  na¬ 
tions  is  in  the  various  social  and  philanthropic 
institutions.  Special  consideration 
should  be  given  to  the  School  for 
Social  Service  connected  with  the 
publication  of  Faith  and  Life ,  under 
the  direction  of  Paul  Doumergue,  the 
only  school  of  its  kind  in  France. 

In  various  parts  of 
France  and  Belgium  are 
Protestant  hospitals,  or¬ 
phanages  and  asylums  and 
institutions  for  training 
social  workers,  which  are 
of  a  high  order.  These 
institutions  have,  of 
course,  suffered  greatly 


during  the  war,  just  at  the  time  when  they  were  more  needed 
than  ever.  Their  facilities  were  turned  over  to  the  military 
authorities  and  their  whole  work  disorganized.  They  are  now 
in  the  process  of  re-building  and  re-manning  and  are  among 
the  most  worthy  objects  that  can  be  conserved  through  Ameri¬ 
can  generosity. 

Cultured  Societies.  There  are  also  several  cultural  organ¬ 
izations,  like  the  Protestant  Historical  Society,  the  famous 
Museum  of  the  Desert  and  similar  institutions,  not  requiring 
large  sums,  but  of  the  highest  importance  for  the  intellectual 
development  of  Protestantism  and  the  protection  of  its  ideals. 

The  institution  of  a  Franco- American  Review  has  been 
proposed,  which  ought  to  receive  its  support  in  the  main  from 
the  United  States. 


Assistance  Rendered  by  the  Federal  Council  and  the 
American  Churches  During  the  War 

Shortly  after  the  beginning  of  the  war,  in  1915,  the  General 
Secretary  of  the  Federal  Council  undertook  to  raise  funds  for 
the  needs  of  these  churches  and  organized  committees  from 
time  to  time  for  the  care  of  this  work.  Commissioners  from 
the  French  and  Belgian  churches  came  to  America  at  the  invi¬ 
tation  of  these  committees  and  the  results  were  as  follows  up 
to  March  1,  1920: 

Total  amount  sent  to  France  and 

Belgium  since  1915 . $757,219.28 

The  church  leaders  in  France  and  Belgium  say  that  without 
this  aid  it  would  have  been  very  difficult  to  maintain  their 
work  during  the  war. 

Up  to  the  latter  part  of  1918  these  sums  were  secured  from 
individuals  and  local  churches  through  the  visitation  of  the 
French  and  Belgian  commissioners  and  the  constant  appeals 
of  the  General  Secretary  of  the  Federal  Council. 

During  1919  the  method  was  changed  and  for  the  most  part 
funds  secured  through  the  denominational  bodies,  mainly  the 
Baptist;  Methodist  Episcopal;  Methodist  Episcopal,  South; 

16 


Lutheran;  Presbyterian;  Presbyterian  South;  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States  and  United  Presbyterian. 

The  McAll  Association  and  the  American  Bible  Society  also 
carried  on  similar  work. 

The  following  is  a  statement  of  the  amounts  received  from 
denominational  bodies  and  individuals  from  October,  1918, 
to  March  1,  1920 : 


Methodist  Episcopal . 

Baptist  . 

Lutheran  . . 

Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S 

Presbyterian  . 

Methodist  Episcopal,  South . . . 

Presbyterian,  South . 

United  Presbyterian . 

Reformed  Church  in  America 


$75,000.00 

64,159.73 

50,000.00 

50,000.00 

48,000.00 

25,000.00 

25,000.00 

15,000.00 

150.00 


From  direct  subscriptions 


$352,309.73 

28,898.86 


Total . $381,208.59 

In  addition  to  the  above,  other  substantial  amounts  have 
been  conveyed  directly  to  their  corresponding  churches  by  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church;  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South;  the  National  Lutheran  Council  and  the  Baptist  churches. 
The  McAll  Association  carried  on  its  regular  work. 


Plans  of  American  Church  Bodies  in  addition  to  the 
Common  Work  through  the  Federal  Council 

Three  American  church  bodies  are  also  undertaking  work 
in  France,  which,  while  carried  out  in  consultation  and  cooper¬ 
ation  with  all  of  the  other  interests  concerned,  is  of  a  direct 

nature.  .  . 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  installed  churches 

in  France  in  1906,  has  large  and  important  plans,  including 
the  physical  and  social  reconstruction  of  certain  areas,  with 
the  approval  of  the  French  Government,  and  the  development 
of  its  churches  and  social  and  philanthropic  institutions, 
conducts  four  orphanages,  and  is  at  work  in  the  Savoy,  at 

17 


Chateau  Thierry,  and,  among  other  cities,  in  Grenoble,  Lyons, 
Toulon,  Marseilles,  Cannes  and  Strasbourg. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  South,  is  confining  its 
work  to  Belgium  and  has  already  purchased  beautiful  property 
in  Brussels  for  an  orphanage,  is  preparing  to  erect  a  general 
Protestant  building  in  Brussels,  has  opened  up  a  relief  station 
at  Ypres  and  is  pursuing  a  vigorous  work  in  cooperation  with 
the  other  Protestant  bodies  in  Belgium. 

The  National  Lutheran  Council  is  also  assisting  the  Luth¬ 
eran  churches  of  France  directly,  the  plans  including  the 
development  of  theological  education,  a  students’  hostel  in 
Paris,  expansion  of  home  mission  work,  religious  publications, 
a  high  school  or  college  and  the  possibility  of  establishing  an 
American  Lutheran  church  in  Paris. 

The  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,  as  a  part  of 
its  cooperative  work  with  the  Federal  Council  Commission, 
proposes  to  erect  a  memorial  church  at  some  historic  spot. 

The  American  McAll  Association  proposes  to  continue  in  a 
still  more  effective  way  the  splendid  work  which  it  has  been 
doing  for  so  many  years. 

The  American  Bible  Society  will  give  its  help,  in  cooper¬ 
ation  with  the  Commission,  to  the  Bible  Societies  in  France 
and  Belgium. 

The  Committee  on  Work,  following  upon  consultation  with 
the  Committee  of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  took  the 
following  action: 

“It  was  voted  that  the  Commission  express  to  the  Executive 
Committee  of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  its  appreciation 
of  the  offer  of  the  Interchurch  World  Movement  to  cooperate 
with  the  Commission  and  to  assist  it  in  its  plans,  leaving  to  the 
Commission  the  relationships  with  the  work  in  France.” 


The  Obligation  and  Opportunity  of  the 
American  Churches 

Various  representatives  of  the  American  churches  who  have 
visited  France  and  Belgium  during  the  past  two  years  have 
all  come  home  urging  that  the  program  of  this  Commission 
be  adopted  by  the  American  churches. 

18 


Rev.  James  H.  Franklin,  of  the  Baptist  Churches,  Chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Work  of  the  Commission,  in  his  report 
of  his  visit  has  said: 

“The  times  are  favorable  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  of 
personal  religion.  Protestantism,  which  has  been  the  salt  of 
France  in  the  past,  has  an  unparalleled  opportunity  at  such  a 
time  as  this.  Evangelical  Christianity  alone  can  meet  the  present 
need  of  the  nations.” 

Rev.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  Chairman  of  the  Commission,  on 
his  return,  said: 

.  .My  visit  deepened  and  strengthened  my  already  deep 
and  strong  conviction  that  not  only  are  American  Christians  called 
upon  to  help  their  sorely  stricken  brethren  in  a  time  of  special 
need  but  that  this  help  is  absolutely  _  indispensable  to  that 
strengthening  of  a  pure  evangelical  faith  in  France  and  Belgium 
which  will  afford  the  most  secure  foundation  for  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  these  important  countries  and  of  all  the  interests  that 
are  related  to  them.  As  one  of  the  fine  young  men  of  Pans  told 
me,  there  is  just  now  such  a  spiritual  hunger  on  the  part  ol 
many  of  the  young  men  of  France  as  we  have  never  seen  belore. 
Our  Protestant  brethren  in  France  are  trying  as  best  they  can 
to  satisfy  that  hunger;  but,  weakened  and  crippled  by  the  war, 
they  need  the  help  of  their  brethren  in  America.  Let  us  give  it 
to  them  in  abundant,  ungrudging  measure.” 

Rev.  Charles  S.  Macfarland,  General  Secretary  of  the  Fed¬ 
eral  Council,  who  is  considered  in  both  France  and  America 
as  an  authority  upon  the  situation  in  France  and  Belgium,  has 

said: 

“The  Protestant  churches  have  a  history,  traditions,  an  apostolic 
succession,  a  power  of  personality  and  a  clear  grasp  of  funda¬ 
mental  religious  principles,  with  an  adequate  numerical  force 
to  make  them  the  foundation  of  a  great  religious  structure  in 

France. 

“God  has  set  before  America  an  open  door  .in  France  and  Bel¬ 
gium.  Other  agencies,  including  interests  social,  educational  and 
philanthropic,  are  seizing  the  opportunity  for  service  to  these 
nations  and  are  already  on  the  field.  They  are  preparing  the  way 
for  the  churches. 

“We  have,  on  the  part  of  the  churches,  an  opportunity  for  con¬ 
secrated  Christian  statesmanship  and  unity  in  service,  calling  lor 
our  earnest  prayer,  our  deepest  thought,  our  wisest  and  most 
effective  action.  France  is  ready  for  a  great  evangelical  move¬ 
ment.” 

19 


Rev.  Frank  Mason  North,  President  of  the  Federal  Council, 
has  said: 

“The  present  duty  of  the  churches  of  America  to  French  Protes¬ 
tantism  is: 

“1.  To  recognize  the  significance  of  the  present  position  6f 

the  evangelical  forces  in  France  herself  and  to  world  evangeliza¬ 
tion. 

“2.  To  promote  those  sympathies  which  shall  develop  into  an 
enduring  fellowship  in  faith  and  service. 

“3.  To  provide  larger  resources  for  the  work  of  relief  and 
restoration — sufficient  at  least  to  secure,  in  addition  to  the  con¬ 
tributions,  already  generous,  from  France  herself,  enough  to 

restore  properties  and  to  relieve  and  re-install  pastors  and  workers. 

“4.  To  aid  by  sympathy,  cooperation  and  resources,  the  pro¬ 
motion  of  the  full  educational  missionary  and  social  activities  of 
the  present  evangelical  forces,  alike  those  of  the  churches  known 
as  historic  and  of  those  more  recently  established,  urging  always 
community  of  counsel,  unity  of  plan,  cooperation  in  action,  en¬ 
thusiasm  for  achievement  and  always  tolerance.” 

Mr.  W.  S.  Coffin,  who  prepared  these  plans,  served  with  the 
Foyer  du  Soldat  during  the  war,  and  gives  hearty  testimony  to 
the  great  opportunity  of  American  Christians. 


Handbook  of  French  and  Belgian  Protestantism 

Every  pastor  and  church  member  would  be  deeply  inter¬ 
ested  in  reading  the  volume  prepared  for  the  Commission  by 
Mrs.  Louise  Seymour  Houghton,  the  Handbook  of  French  and 
Belgian  Protestantism.  It  is  a  story  which  should  be  known 
far  better  than  it  is  by  the  Christian  people  of  America. 


20 


The  Commission 


Rev.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  Chairman 


Rev.  Charles  S. 

Rev.  Peter  Ainslie 
Rev.  J.  Y.  Aitchison 
Rev.  George  Alexander 
Rev.  Maitland  Alexander 
C.  Edgar  Anderson 
Bishop  William  F.  Anderson 
Rev.  Henry  A.  Atkinson 
Mrs.  Anson  Atterbury 
Rev.  Arthur  C.  Baldwin 
Mrs.  H.  Roswell  Bates 
Dr.  Sylvester  W.  Beach 
Rev.  Augustus  F.  Beard 
Rev.  W.  B.  Beauchamp 
Bishop  William  M.  Bell 
Rev.  J.  Frederick  Berg 
E.  M.  Bowman 
Rev.  W.  H.  Boyle 
Prof.  Jean  C.  Bracq 
Rev.  M.  E.  Broekstra 
M.  Linn  Bruce 
Rev.  F.  W.  Burnham 
Bishop  James  Cannon,  Jr. 

Rev.  William  I.  Chamberlain 
Rev.  Francis  E.  Clark 
Rev.  Charles  S.  Cleland 
Rev.  Henry  Sloane  Coffin 
William  Sloane  Coffin 
Mrs.  James  C.  Colgate 
Miss  Mary  E.  Converse 
Rev.  W.  Stuart  Cramer 
Mrs.  James  S.  Cushman 
Rt.  Rev.  James  H.  Darlington 
Dwight  H.  Day 
Rev.  J.  A.  Detter 
John  W.  Dickinson 
Rev.  Charles  E.  Diehl 
Rev.  Paul  D.  Elsesser 
Rev.  William  Hiram  Foulkes 
Rev.  James  H.  Franklin 
Rev.  James  I.  Good 
Rev.  Chauncey  W.  Goodrich 
William  A.  Harbison 
Rev.  William  I.  Haven 
Prof.  William  Bancroft  Hill 


Macfarland,  Secretary 

Mrs.  William  Bancroft  Hill 

Mrs.  Louise  Seymour  Houghton 

Miss  Edith  M.  Howard 

Rev.  S.  G.  Inman 

Rev.  Charles  M.  Jacobs 

Rev.  Henry  E.  Jacobs 

Rev.  J.  Addison  Jones 

Dr.  James  R.  Joy 

Mrs.  Frank  B.  Kelley 

Rev.  Frederick  H.  Knubel 

Bishop  Walter  R.  Lambuth 

Rev.  Lauritz  Larsen 

Rev.  Albert  G.  Lawson 

Rev.  Grant  K.  Lewis 

Rev.  J.  W.  Liggitt 

Mrs.  Henry  P.  Loomis 

Rev.  Frederick  Lynch 

Reginald  L.  McAll 

Paul  G.  Mclntire 

Rev.  T.  H.  Mackenzie 

Frank  H.  Mann 

John  T.  Manson 

George  W.  Marston 

Alfred  Mason 

Samuel  Mather 

Rev.  Oscar  E.  Maurer 

Rev.  Harlan  G.  Mendenhall 

Rev.  William  P.  Merrill 

Rev.  W.  W.  Moore 

Rev.  Henry  Mottet 

Rev.  Frank  Mason  North 

Rev.  0.  A.  Petty 

Rev.  W.  W.  Pinson 

Rev.  Thomas  C.  Pollock 

Rev.  R.  C.  Reed 

Robert  J.  Rendall 

Rev.  George  W.  Richards 

Edmond  E.  Robert 

Dr.  William  Jay  Schieffelin 

John  L.  Severance 

William  Shaw 

Rev.  Charles  J.  Smith 

Mrs.  H.  R.  Steele 

Rev.  John  Baer  Stoudt 


21 


Rev.  Carlyle  Summerbell 
Dr.  Wilbur  K.  Thomas 
Rev.  Ezra  S.  Tipple 
Rev.  James  I.  Vance 
Rev.  Seth  Van  der  Werf 
Rev.  Henry  Van  Dyke 
Rev.  Florian  Vurpillot 
Rev.  E.  0.  Watson 


Rev.  E.  T.  Wellford 
Dr.  Edward  E.  Whitford 
W.  R.  Wills 

Bishop  Luther  B.  Wilson 
Rev.  G.  B.  Winton 
Rev.  A.  V.  Wittmeyer 
Rev.  Cornelius  Woelfkin 
Rev.  David  G.  Wylie 


The  Committee  on  Work 


Rev.  James  H.  Franklin,  Chairman 


Rev.  Arthur  J.  Brown,  ex  officio 
Rev.  Arthur  C.  Baldwin 
Rev.  W.  B.  Beauchamp 
Rev.  William  I.  Chamberlain 
Rev.  Charles  S.  Cleland 
William  Sloane  Coffin 
Rev.  W.  Stuart  Cramer 
Dwight  H.  Day 
Rev.  William  Hiram  Foulkes 
Rev.  William  I.  Haven 


Rev.  Charles  M.  Jacobs 
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